Museum Passes
by McPenname
Summary: Tony offers Tim some old Museum passes he had forgotten about, right before they expire. Is Tony setting Tim up for something? Or is the offer genuine? What happens when Ziva offers to accompany Tim to the museum? McGiva, Rated M
1. Offers

**This story is rated M (just to be safe) for later chapters.**

* * *

Offers

* * *

"Hey, Probie," Tony began, "I have two museum passes that expire this weekend. I figure you and your girl would probably like them. Jessie isn't the museum type."

"Then why did you get the passes?" Ziva asked curiously before Tim could respond.

"Got them a while ago when I was dating Karen," Tony admitted, causing the other two to raise their eyebrows in surprise. Karen didn't seem like the museum type either, from what Tony shared about her. "Never got around to using them. Actually forgot I had them until I was going through some old emails and noticed that they were expiring.

"I'd hate for them to go to waste," Tony added, looking at Tim.

"I…yeah," Tim replied, when no one said anything. "Might be able to fit it in."

"In your busy schedule?" Tony laughed before digging through his backpack and pulling out a bunch of sheets. "Great, this should be everything you need…directions, museum hours, the passes," Tony grinned, "You'll have to tell me about it on Monday."

"Of course," Tim agreed, putting the papers in his bag.

"McGee," Gibbs called, as he entered the bullpen, "Abby needs your help in the lab."

"On it, Boss," he called, already in motion.

Ziva waited until she thought Tim was out of hearing range before turning to Tony, "What do you have planned?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Tony replied innocently.

"Those passes…does that museum really exist or is he going to end up in the middle of nowhere?"

"It exists."

"And the passes are real?"

"Yes,"

"Then why didn't you use them?"

Tony shrugged, "Don't usually like museums, boring stuffy places," he shared his opinion. "This one might've been different, but the passes expire this weekend," Tony reminded her. "Plus, I don't need to spend my time inside a building learning things."

"And McGee does?"

"Hey, he _likes_ learning."

"Hmph."

"Can't a guy do something nice for his partner?"

"A guy, yes. You? No."

"Hey, now," Tony protested. "I swear those passes are legit. The museum exists, the directions are real. He's not going to be stranded in the middle of nowhere, won't be refused entry or arrested for illegal tickets or forced to pay any additional fees. I just know I don't need them and thought he and his girl would like them."

During his impromptu speech, Ziva met his eyes. Finally she looked away and returned to her desk. "I still think you are up to something," she stated.

"You'll see on Monday," Tony smirked. "McGee would have been to the museum and he and his girl will probably thank me for all the things he, _they_ , learned."

Ziva snorted in doubt but otherwise didn't say another word about it.

* * *

Ziva sat quietly at her desk and watched McGee. The two were alone in the bullpen, Tony had left the moment Gibbs had dismissed them. Ziva hadn't said a word, just inclined her head to indicate that she heard. Tim had nodded before quietly stating that he needed to defrag his computer and then he would leave. Even Gibbs had left the bullpen, though Ziva suspected that he hadn't left the building yet.

"You and your girl broke up, did you not?"

Tim jumped at the sound of her voice. "Geez, Ziva," he exclaimed in protest. "I forgot you were there."

"Something every girl wants to hear," she commented dryly.

Tim just rolled his eyes.

"Am I right?"

"About what?" Tim absently asked, already focusing on his computer again.

"About your girl?"

"What about her?"

"The two of you broke up."

"We did," he confirmed.

"So what are you going to tell tony on Monday?"

Tim shrugged, "that we broke up."

Ziva rolled her eyes, "I meant about the museum passes."

"Oh." Tim paused, "I'll thank him, but tell him that due to the fight and subsequent break up, we didn't get to use them."

Ziva looked at Tim curiously, 'fight? Break up? Those obviously happened _before_ tony gave him the passes. Ziva shook her head to clear her thoughts. "If you want, I can go to the museum with you this weekend."

"Nah," Tim said declining her offer. "I am fine not going. Don't even know what museum it is," he admitted.

Ziva shrugged, "I have been meaning to visit more of the museums in DC, and I think it would be more fun with company. Plus, it seems a shame to waste those passes," she paused and grinned. "How often is Tony useful?"

Tim snorted in amusement, "Well there is that."

"Of course, If you have other plans..."

"I don't," Tim admitted. "I...hold on a moment," he said as he rifled through his bag and withdrew the papers tony had handed him. "It doesn't say the name of the museum or the exhibit," he began with a frown. "But the papers and tickets list an address and hours."

Ziva frowned as well, "Are we sure they are legitimate?"

"Tony told you that they were and before you say anything no, I don't always believe Tony, but he seemed like he was sincere this time."

Ziva looked at Tim in surprise, "You heard that?" she asked.

Tim stared at her, biting his tongue to keep himself from saying 'Obviously. "Yes," he finally responded.

Eyes narrowed, "How much did you hear?"

Tim shrugged, "All of it, I believe. It wasn't intentional," he hurried to explain. "I was heading to my desk to get something when I heard what you guys were saying. I decided not to interrupt."

"No, just listen in," she pointed out.

Another shrug, "You were talking about me. If I heard something I didn't like, I had no one to blame but myself."

"Hmm," Ziva reluctantly accepted his explanation. "Well, if it turns out he lied about the tickets or the museum, I can always kill him with a paper clip."

Tim unclipped the papers as he stood and walked over to her desk. "Here," he said, holding out his hand, "poetic justice if you use his own paper clip."

Ziva grinned as she accepted his offering, carefully placing it in her desk drawer. "So, are we going?"

Tim shrugged, "why not? What's the worse that could happen?"

* * *

This story was inspired by a Groupon...I saw the listing and thought, OMG, Tony would so buy those and find a way to give them to Tim.

I know it is unlikely that the passes and all the paperwork don't have the Museum or exhibit info listed, but, well, Tony found a way to block that information. He's a smart guy...if only he used his powers for good instead of evil more often.

This is a rather short story, no more than 5 chapters (assuming you guys are curious and want more). Have about 8,000 words typed. Oh yeah, not beta'd; and I do not own NCIS or any of the characters.

And once more.. **.This story is rated M (just to be safe) for later chapters**.

9-25-18


	2. The Drive (MP2)

The Drive

* * *

Not knowing what the exhibit entailed or how much time it would take, the two decided to get an early start on Saturday and be at the museum in the morning.

Tim insisted on driving and picking Ziva up, since this could be considered a favor to him.

As they left Silver Spring, she asked, "Why did you not tell Tony that you broke up?"

"Because it's not any of his business."

"That never mattered before," Ziva commented. "And you said you planned to tell him Monday."

Tim shrugged, "That was to explain why I did not use these passes."

"So you do not plan on telling him?"

"I might," Tim admitted.

Ziva smiled, "If I were you, I would do so later in the week. Telling him on Monday would give him the whole week to pester you about what happened."

Tim grinned at her, "I'll just pretend to be really heartbroken over it. Make it look like I'm about to cry every time he says something or mentions her name," Tim stated, giving the matter some more thought. "Perhaps say that I thought this was different, that she was the one. After a day of that, he'll drop it."

Ziva looked at him shrewdly, "You speak of experience."

Tim shrugged, "Tony's nosy, but he can't handle real emotion. Me crying, makes him more uncomfortable than if a woman was upset or crying."

"Why?"

Tim grinned again, "Because he believes he knows how to comfort a woman, but with a guy, he is at a complete loss."

"Smart," Ziva smirked. "So what happened?"

"The truth or what I'll tell tony?"

"There's a difference?" She asked in confusion. "Both, the truth first please."

"I broke up with her," Tim admitted before sharing what he would probably tell Tony.

"Why wouldn't you tell Tony the truth?"

"First, he wouldn't believe me, he would think I was saying that just to save face," Tim explained, "and second, I couldn't really act heartbroken if he knew I initiated the break up now, could I?"

Ziva stared at him in shock, not saying a word.

"What?" He finally asked when she remained silent. "Your mad that I would do such a thing," he guessed softly.

"Nooooo," she dragged out the word.

"Disappointed?" Tim offered

"Not mad or disappointed," she corrected, "Just surprised that you would think of such a thing," she admitted, before hesitantly asking, "Are you sure you can pull it off?"

Tim turned and grinned at her before focusing on the road in front of him and the directions.

"You have done it before," she concluded when he didn't answer.

"A few times," he admitted.

Eyes narrowed, "When?"

"I, uh," he paused, glad he had the excuse of driving to avoid her glare. "The last time was about two months ago, Nicole," he answered, continuing when she remained silent. "And, um, Nancy, Sue, Robin, Ca-"

"Why?" She asked, halting his list of names.

"He _wanted_ to believe that I was dumped. There was no way he would believe that I broke up with them or that it was mutual."

"No, I mean, why did you break up with them? It seemed like you were getting along just fine."

"It wasn't right."

She frowned, "If you expect fireworks and birds to sing..."

Tim laughed, "I don't want a cartoon princess," he snickered, "But after a couple of dates, I couldn't picture myself with them long-term."

"So?"

"So that is what I want. I'm not going to waste my time in a relationship that isn't going anywhere."

"But how did you know?" She insisted.

He shrugged, "I just knew."

Ziva raised an eyebrow, as she wondered what else he 'knew'.

* * *

"I'm going to kill him," Tim muttered after they entered the exhibit hall. Like the tickets, the museum name was not displayed anywhere . Even the brochures they were handed had no text on the outside.

Tim hadn't even noticed any signs inside the building until after their passes were scanned and they turned the corner where a large poster greeted them.

'Museum of Sex', the sign read, the letters comprised of naked bodies, male and female, positioned appropriately, or rather inappropriately, to form the letters.

Ziva snickered, "We really should not be surprised, it _is_ Tony. Of course it does make me wonder why he didn't come, I have a feeling his dislike of museums would not include this one. I cannot see it classified as stuffy and boring."

Tim groaned. "Tony" he muttered angrily. "I'm gonna kill him."

"McGee, it is okay, I am not upset."

"I'm glad for that," Tim finally commented, "Though, still feel free to attack him with that paper clip on Monday."

Ziva frowned, "What has you so upset? It is a typical Tony prank, yes?"

"Yes," Tim admitted. "And it's not the prank, not just the prank," he corrected. "It's what Tony implied, that he didn't have anything to learn from this museum, but that I could. There is also the fact of what my girlfriend would've thought if I brought her here." Tim frowned. "I have the feeling that Tony won't be surprised we are no longer together after this weekend."

Ziva frowned, "You think he meant to break up your relationship?"

Tim shrugged, "Not actively, no. But he probably would've been amused if I told him that because of his 'gift' we had a huge fight." Ziva looked at him curiously, "How would you feel if a date brought you to a Museum of Sex without discussing it first? Especially if it was a relatively new relationship?"

"I can see your point," she quietly admitted, once more looking at the sign.

Tim sighed, "Well, since we are out and about, we can grab something to eat."

"You do not want to go in?"

Tim just stared at her in disbelief.

"Oh, come on, McGee. We are here, leaving would just give Tony the victory."

"He doesn't have to know," Tim protested.

Ziva raises an eyebrow, "He will just have to say the word museum and you will blush...like that," she pointed out. "Admitting you left right away will make him unbearable. Even mentioning that you and your girlfriend broke up would not garner any sympathy or peace from him."

"We can just go to another museum instead," he offered. "DC is full of them. I'll tell him that I redeemed the passes, spent the morning at the museum, th-"

"Alone?" she asked.

Tim shrugged, "I'll tell him that a friend joined me. I'll share that Shelly and I broke up, and even though I went to the museum, I couldn't really say anything about the exhibits, because I was trying to busy thinking how I messed up with her or how I could get her back."

"Do you really think that would work?" Ziva asked with a derisive snort. "We are here, and have already redeemed the passes," she pointed out, "We might as well go in and walk around. It probably will not take that long, then we can get something to eat while we are out. I will even buy," she added to entice him.

Tim rolled his eyes, "Fine," he said, hoping she would let him walk through the exhibits quickly without really looking at anything.

* * *

"McGee, relax," Ziva told him, her voice portraying her amusement. "Nothing here will attack you, not even me," she added with a smile. When Tim attempted to smile back, she continued, " unless, of course it is something I cannot help," she smirked, pointing to the display in front of them regarding sexual pheromones.

"Ziva!" Tim reddened.

"Relax," she repeated, "and look at the displays, they are done tastefully."

Tim groaned, causing his companion to bite her lip to prevent her from making a comment that would have him retreat once more. His eyes lifted to the display.

"So, what do you know about this subject?" She asked.

"Ziva!" He gaped at her in shock.

She rolled her eyes, "I meant this particular topic. You have biology and medical knowledge in your background, right? Surely this topic came up at some point in your classes."

"Oh," Tim replied, embarrassed. As if Ziva would ask him about sex. And she did have a point, he realized, opening his mouth to answer her question.

They went from one display to another, talking and joking about the displays.

Tim was actually shocked at the set up of the exhibit. When he first saw the title and the sign, he expected to be inundated with images and images of sweaty, writhing bodies, showing various erogenous zones and sexual positions.

To his shock, it wasn't like that at all. Some of it was quite interesting, not that he would share _that_ with Tony. The exhibit included how sex was portrayed on television shows, the first tv married couple shown to share a bed and be in it together; the impact sex had on advertising and the truth behind 'sex sells'; movie rating system applied regarding sex and nudity; it seemed to cover every subject, music, lyrics, video games, politics, classic literature, and many more.

Tim smiled as they reached the last part of the exhibit. "Thank you," he said, smiling at Ziva. "I won't tell Tony that I learned anything," he stated with a grin, "But it was pretty interesting."

"It was," she agreed.

"And I've enjoyed spending time with you away from work," Tim admitted.

"Same here," she smiled at him.

* * *

The last segment of the museum seemed to be the largest one to date. The map labelled it "Sex through the Ages." The two headed towards the display, curious to see what this one entailed. Tim had to admit that he was actually enjoying himself. Not just because the museum was much different than he thought, but because of the opportunity to be with Ziva. The two had never spent so much time together and the fact that it was done peacefully, without threats meant a lot to him. He wondered if today would mark the start of something new in their relationship. Perhaps they would no longer be just teammates, but also friends?

Tim shook his head, he could figure all that out after they left the museum. After all, it was quite possible that the moment they sat down to eat, they could discover that they had little in common to talk about. Reaching the beginning of the display, he read the poster out loud.

"Every generation thinks that they've invented sex, when it is obviously clear that they have not. One only need to realize that due to their existence, as well as that of their mother's, father's, grandparents, great grandparents', etc that sex existed long before them," Tim continued to read the next paragraph, pleased that he did so without stammering, stuttering, or blushing.

Ziva pointed to a picture of a kid, eyes peeping out behind his fingers through a partially opened door where his parents lay entwined on the bed. "Did you ever walk in on your parents?" She asked.

"God, no," he exclaimed. "Of course, by the time I realized what sex was, they were separated."

She frowned, "Isn't Sarah about 10 years younger than you?"

Tim blushed, realizing that she must think him very naive, "Eight," he admitted. "I think she was a last ditch effort to keep the relationship going."

Ziva nodded, "I didn't walk in on my parents together," she admitted, "But I did catch my father with someone else, while he was still married to my mother."

"I...what did you do?"

"Quietly left so they wouldn't realize I was there."

Tim raised an eyebrow and looked at her. That didn't sound like the Ziva he knew.

She shrugged, "I might have caused a small, accidental fire that set off the alarms, prompting everyone to evacuate the building."

Tim tried to stifle his grin; that was more like his Ziva.

"You can laugh," she told him, "It was a long time ago, and when I brought it up to my mother informed me that she already knew."

"Still, it must've been tough," he empathized.

Ziva just gave another shrug and walked to the next section. This one listed hundreds of euphemisms for sex. Silently Tim joined her.

She turned to him, "I know I have difficulty when it comes to American idioms, but these," she waved her hand at the list, "I do not understand many of these."

"Neither do I," Tim admitted. "Though I think I will take note of a few." At Ziva's questioning look, he clarified, "For my book."

"Right," she smirked, "Your book."

Tim just shook his head, "How else would I use them?"

"Pick 'em up lines?" she offered.

"Pick up lines," he corrected. "And I doubt any of them would work."

Ziva grimaced, agreeing with him on that point. Indicating one in the first column, 'Bumping uglies' she stated, "If someone I was with referred to sex with me as that, well, one, it would guarantee that sex between us would never happen, and two, by the time I was done with them, it would definitely be true in their case," she smirked.

"I have no doubt of that," he agreed, "though I can't imagine you ever have to worry about it. Nothing about you is ugly," he concluded, slightly embarrassed that he said that out loud.

"Why thank you, Timothy," she said sweetly, pleased by his words.

"That's one I would like to work into my book," he shared, trying to divert attention.

"Assault with a friendly weapon," she read out loud with a laugh. "Yes, I can see why. It provides quite an image."

Tim nodded, continuing to look at the list.

"Many of these mention dancing," Ziva observed.

"That is understandable," Tim commented, "However, the fact that even more of them involve animals..." he trailed off.

Ziva smirked, "I believe that is also understandable," she explained, "They do refer to it as the wild thing, given in to our animalistic urges and instincts."

Tim just lifted an eyebrow, as he skeptically looked at a couple of them. He decided not to mention them out loud, partly because he didn't want to say them out loud, reading them was bad enough.

"Funny business?" Ziva read out loud.

Tim smiled, "You've never heard that one?"

She shook her head, "No and I cannot imagine what is funny about it."

Tim snickered, "they don't mean it literally," he replied.

"I know that, but..." her voice trailed off.

"That's a popular one for adults to use, especially when talking to teens," Tim explained.

Ziva rose an eyebrow, "and did anyone use it with you?"

"My mom," he admitted, "almost any time I went out, or was alone with a girl she would say 'and no funny business, Timothy'."

"And did you always listen to her?"

Tim blushed, providing Ziva with the answer before he spoke, "Well, in the literal sense," he began, "as you pointed, nothing was funny about it, especially when you're a teenager."

"Are you sure about that?" Ziva teased, pointing another phrase on the list. "I am sure there is a reason they call it 'slap and tickle?"

"I...yes," Tim agreed, blushing even deeper now.

"Oh, you have to share that story," she challenged.

"Not gonna happen," Tim informed her firmly.

"Hmm," Ziva hummed, still eyeing him.

"A lot of them involve food as well," Tim observed, trying to get her off of that story.

"Perhaps indicative of a healthy appetites," she smirked, pointedly licking her lips and softly giggling when his blush deepened and he turned away from her to face the wall again.

After a few moments had passed Ziva restarted the conversation, "That one," Ziva pointed to 'Doing it' on the list. "I believe is universal. Everyone knows exactly what you mean when you say that, unlike 'buying a frisbee," she added, pointing to that euphemism on the list.

Tim shook his head, "I don't know that one," he admitted.

"Doing it?" She asked incredulously.

"No, the frisbee. Of course I know doing it," he replied, his face once more reddening.

Ziva smiles, "Now that story you really have to tell me."

"I..." his voice trailed off and he shook his head.

"Oh, it can't be that bad," she argued.

"It's really not. It's not that interesting either," he informed her.

"I will be the judge of that, now spill," she teasingly ordered.

He shrugged, "I was just remembering what someone told me. They heard a few of us talking about 'doing it', you know," he blushed, "Which of us had, or planned to soon, who we thought might've already, things like that. Later I was pulled aside and given the advice that if you couldn't say sex, then you probably weren't ready to do 'it'."

"Hmm," she replied thoughtfully. "Sounds like pretty good advice."

Tim just nodded and turned back to the wall for a minute, "We done here?"

"Yes, let's see how sex has evolved during the ages," she declared before strolling down the hall where a set of French doors lead them to the next room.

Tim snickered as the doors shut behind them with a soft thud.

"What?" Ziva asked.

"This just reminds me more of a haunted house, than a museum," he shared. "The door separating us from the rest of the museum, minimum lighting," he continued. "All we need is strange sounds, creaking floorboards, screams and groans, and we have ourselves a scene from a horror movie."

Ziva just shook her head. "I seriously doubt anyone is going to reach out and attack you, but if they do, I promise to keep you safe."

"Thanks," Tim drawled as he rolled his eyes as they once more started walking towards the exhibit. At the sign, Tim paused and tilted his head. Was it his imagination or did the X in 'sex' seem larger than the other letters? It also looked like the bodies comprising the letter X were casting shadows, as if more than one X was present. With a shake of his head, Tim dismissed the thought from his mind, figuring that it was mostly likely due to the angle and lighting that the photographer used.

* * *

So, as I mentioned, this was inspired by a Groupon for passes to 'Museum of Sex' (kudos to delia cerrano for guessing what the museum was). Don't have the faintest idea what the museum actually holds, this is just from my imagination...though the 400 euphemisms for intercourse does exits...and some of them are really strange...  
As I mentioned, this is rated M, but it isn't that graphic. I 'd just rather be safe than sorry...

And if you guys have any suggestions of what you'd like to see/hear let me know; this story is mostly complete, but even then, I still cannot stop tweaking it, adding/changing things...

9-27-18


	3. The Surprise (MP3)

The Surprise

"Oh my," a breathless Ziva muttered. It was the first words either of them had uttered for the last 4 rooms. The change in atmosphere had been noticeable, though neither had commented on it. Each display had become more provocative, erotic, and graphic than the one before. Consequently the pair had become quieter and more aware of each other as well.

One of the first rooms represented the Victorian age. It had mentioned that the word sex was seldom spoken out loud, and never in respectable circles, not even amongst married couples. How it was seen as a duty, an exercise done to secure a heir. The phrase 'lie back and think of England' had them laughing and joking as they headed towards the next rooms.

The display included the beginning of the 20th century, the roaring twenties, the free love and sexual revolution of the 60s and 70s, the present day and every decade in between. There had been ten rooms in total, so far, and until now, neither Tim nor Ziva had said a word in the last four.

The two had gone silent when the displays started becoming risqué. Sure, they could have skipped this section of the museum once they realized the content, but they truly didn't think it would differ from the other, more tasteful displays quite this much.

They just walked silently through the rooms, looking at everything that graced the walls of the museum. Excerpts from books, movies, magazines, news stories of the times, anything that seemed to mention sex was included. The more recent ones included not only snippets of TV shows (prominently featuring cable and specialty networks) but also computer websites and images.

The room they were currently in pointed out that sex itself had not changed. Rather it was the attitude towards sex that had changed. As that attitude changed, what was once considered personal and private, was laid bare for all to see. Bare being the key word, as Tim took his eyes off the display that had elicited a comment, brief as it was, from Ziva and automatically turned to her.

He was surprised at the change in her. Her neck and chest had flushed, her breath quickened, and her eyes bright and focused on the images before her. Looking at her, it took every ounce of Tim's being not to reach out to her, or worse, kiss her.

Tim was sure he presented a similar image.

This is what Tim had been expecting when he first learned the name of the museum. These images of men and woman giving and seeking pleasure. At one point he had tried to close his eyes, hoping he could block out what he was before him, however, that had just seemed to enhance the audio portion of the displays. The husky moans, high pitched screams, gasping breaths, had Tim's imagination running wild, as he imagined himself involved in that concert, either making those sounds or eliciting them from a lover. Ziva seemed to be as enraptured with them as he had been.

He cleared his throat, hoping to break the spell that seems to have fallen over her, over both of them. "Ziva," he began, only to falter when her eyes landed on him.

Her eyes roamed over his body and he felt naked before her. Then she spoke, a breathless sound full of arousal and need, "Timothy,"

He wasn't sure who moved, though he suspects, _hopes_ , it was both of them. All he knew is that she was in his embrace, her arms entwined around his neck, their lips and tongues devouring each other, their hands roaming across the other's body. The sounds she made by far surpassed those from the audio playing in the background. This wasn't a concert, it was a symphony, Tim realized. The only thing that seemed to matter was the two of them.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, all he knew was that he didn't want this moment to end. Never before had he felt the pull of desire so strong. This was more than a kiss, more than a symphony, this was transcendental.

"Oh my," Ziva repeated once the two broke apart, desperate for air. Tim just stared at her, not sure if that was good or bad. He thought that their kiss was amazing, and right now wouldn't mind if it led to another or even more than a kiss and the fondling that occurred over their clothes. When she tugged his head down to initiate another kiss, he was pretty confident she was in agreement with him.

"Oh my," he said with a smile, locking his gaze with her, when they once more parted, both of them panting.

Ziva returned his smile, "Who knew you could kiss like that?" She asked rhetorically. "Perhaps we should finish this exhibit and then return to my place..." she trailed off suggestively.

"I don't know if I can handle any more of this exhibit," he admitted. "They should have a warning put on this part of the building."

"It is definitely r rated," she agreed.

"R? I think you mean x," he corrected in a whisper, his head bent close to hers so he could breathe in her scent.

Ziva turned and stood on her toes, pressing her body flush against his, and licking her way up Tim's neck to his ear, "That will come later...at my place," she promised.

"Ziva," he growled, pulling her mouth to his. "Screw the rest of the display," he muttered, grasping her hand and tugging her towards the exit.

Ziva dug her heels in and refused to move forward, pulling back on his hand. "Think of it as foreplay," she smirked.

"The last few displays weren't enough?" Those displays had included the most recent decades. The current display seemed eerily close to porn, in his opinion.

"I will never have enough," she smirked, undressing him with her eyes, her hand drifting down his chest, coming to rest at the button of his jeans.

"You're killing me," he muttered, his body reacting to her tone and touch.

"La petite mort," she smirked, **"** they do call it the little death."

"Well, little or not, I don't want to die here," he informed her, instinctively thrusting his hips into her hands, "you ready to leave?"

"If you insist," she teased.

"I do." He retorted, pulling her flush against his body.

She moaned and grounded her hips against him.

"What I wouldn't give for the power of teleportation," he muttered as he held her hips still.

"You know, if I drive, I will get us their sooner," Ziva replied, sucking at his neck and trailing a hand down his chest, once more resting on the impressive bulge sitting below his waistband.

"Oh, god," he hissed before capturing her mouth with his.

"Is that a yes?" She asked, as her hands roamed to the butt she once rated as a four.

As their hands continued to roam over each other's body, Tim's lips began to mark a trail down Ziva's neck towards her chest, "Anything you want," he promised huskily. "Anything," he promised as he lifted her up until she had no choice but to wrap her legs around him and walked towards the exit.

—-/

The trip back to Ziva's apartment passed by in a blur. Tim wasn't sure if that was due to her driving, or the sexual fog his mind was in. As much as he wanted to touch Ziva, he knew doing so while she driving, especially while driving a Porsche, was not in anyone's best interest, therefore there was little for him to do, but think.

As soon as they entered the apartment and locked the door, Ziva had dropped both sets of keys on the table and had tugged her shirt over her head. Immediately Tim had reached for her, all the thoughts he had in the car gone when confronted with the wonder that was Ziva. He pulled the fabric of her bra aside to reveal the beautiful flesh that had previously been hidden from his view. In reply, Ziva had unbuttoned his shirt and jeans before straddling one of his legs between hers and rocking against it, creating a much needed friction.

"Ziva, wait," Tim whispered hoarsely, removing his lips from her body and bringing his hands up to grasp her shoulders. His thoughts from earlier had returned, now louder than before, making him unable to ignore them, even though he wished he could. He took a few steadying breaths as he fought to keep himself in control.

Ziva showered kissed down his neck and chest, "there is no need to wait," she protested, slipping an errant hand under the waistband of his boxers. "We are both more than ready."

Tim let out a shaky breath, "I don't know if I can do this."

"Oh, I think you can," she smirked, cupping his hardness before running her fingers along his flesh. "I really think you can," her tongue now circling one of his nipples, hoping he would soon be doing the same to her.

He groaned, "I know I _can_ ," he confirmed, "but I don't think we should."

Her hand stopped moving and she lifted her head in shock, "why not?"

"I..." he hesitated. "I don't do casual," he finally said. "I don't want a one-night stand." When she continued to stare at him, he added, "I want a relationship."

She stared at him, silent as she processed his words. From his tone, she could tell that he was serious. "With me," she said in clarification.

"Yes."

Silence once more fell between them as Ziva pulled away slightly, not sure what to say or do. Tim met her eyes, sure that in the next minute he would be rebuttoning his clothes and leaving. They stood staring at each other, her hand still in his boxers, his still grasping her shoulders. Neither one moving or saying a word.

"This is sudden," Ziva finally replied.

Tim shrugged and waved a hand between the two of them and their state of partial undress, "So is this," his hand instinctively returning to her shoulder, hoping it would prevent her from running away from him. From them, and what they could be.

She gave a brief smile, "Most guys would enjoy the moment and worry that the girl would read more into it."

Tim gave a half smile, "I guess I'm not most guys," he replied, reluctantly removing his hands from her body and taking a step back, forcing her touch to be eliminated as well. "I've always liked you, cared for you," he admitted slowly. "This..." waving his hand between them again, "was a surprise. Not that I was attracted to you, but that it was mutual," he admitted. "But I can't make love with you today and know that it will never happen again. Nor could I pretend on Monday that it never happened. Leaving now, with the taste of you still on my tongue, your touch burning my skin, is the hardest thing I've ever done, but it's the right thing," he said, reaching out and running a hand down her face, he gently lifted her head to tenderly place a last kiss on her lips before turning away, letting Ziva's actions speak for her.

As he reached the door and picked up his keys where Ziva had left them, she called to him, "You can't just say that and then leave."

Tim closed his eyes, trying to strengthen his resolve to leave. He knew walking away was the right choice. It definitely wasn't the easiest and he had no doubts that if Tony or anyone else knew what he was doing they would call him an idiot, and perhaps he was, but he was the one that would have to deal tomorrow and work on Monday, and he wasn't sure he was strong enough to do that.

"Ziva, I'm sorry. I know it's not fair, but..." he finally replied, his voice still husky from arousal. "I have to. It will be okay," he tried to reassure her, not turning around and keeping his hand on the doorknob. "We'll be fine on Monday, business as usual." He knew that if he turned to look at her, saw her lips swollen from his kisses, her skin flushed, her eyes full of lust for him, he would not have the strength to leave.

"What about what I want?" She demanded to know.

Tim closed his eyes, "Ziva, I can't, I'm sorry."

She walked to him, "You can. _WE_ will," she promised, as she squeezed between him and the door, before once more entwining her arms around his neck, her body flush against his.

"Ziva," he choked, "Don-"

"Shhh," she said as she placed a finger over his lips. "I do not know where this relationship is heading, as you said, it is unexpected," she admitted, "but I would like to find out."

Tim sucked in a breath, unable to move, "You sure?"

"Positive," she responded, following her words with actions.

* * *

9-30-18


	4. The News (MP4)

The News

It was the best weekend Tim could ever remember having. And not just because he and Ziva had been together, but because they were _together_. He never thought that Ziva would look at him twice, at least, not in a sexual or relationship-like way. Yet she said she wanted to see where this relationship led, and her actions had him believing that she meant it.

The two had spent a lot of time learning about each other these past two days. It seemed like they talked about everything. Their childhood, family, friends, hopes, dreams, fears, likes, dislikes, all of these things and more were some of the topics that had occurred between them. You name it, Tim was sure that it had come up on conversation at one point during the past two days. Of course, some of those conversations had led to more pleasurable moments, Tim thought, remembering how Ziva had apologized for her attitude and actions when she first learned about his books.

Never before had he felt so connected with anyone. He loved how she challenged him, how she was able to get him to do things he normally wouldn't. He knew no one else would've been able to get him into that museum, regardless of what they said or did, yet with Ziva, she only had to ask and he was willing to enter, for _her_. The fact that he and Ziva had talked about it, joked about it throughout the weekend still surprised him.

Tim gave a small laugh as he remembered when Ziva had suggested they get some food, stating that they would need the energy for the 'bedroom rodeo' she wanted to compete in that night. Tim had blushed, but still managed to make a reply, suggesting that they partake in an 'adult naptime' after lunch. That had been the start of the two of them using many of the remembered euphemisms, especially when one of them was feeling amorous. Ziva had stated that she could not imagine using 'buying a frisbee', since she couldn't imagine what a plastic disc had to do with the act and Tim had promised never to refer to it as 'bumping uglies'. Something Ziva had greatly appreciated and rewarded him for.

Tim smiled contently. Currently he was pressed against Ziva's back, one of his hands cradling her breast. He _knew_ this was it, that she was the one, though he was reluctant to tell her so soon. All he knew was that there was no way he was breaking up with her; he only hoped she shared his sentiment, especially once they went to work later today. Much later, he thought, as he looked at the clock by Ziva's side of the bed. He wondered how upset she would be if he woke her up. There was only one way to find out, he thought with a grin.

"Ziva, I was wondering if you were up to 'dancing in the sheets'" he whispered softly, one hand caressing down her face, before moving to her arm, side, and leg, while the other fondled the breast in its grasp. "Ziva," he repeated, raining kisses everywhere his lips could meet.

"Hmm," she moaned, her chest pressing against his hand, while her hips ground against him.

"You awake?" he asked, grinding back into her.

"If I said no, what would you do?" she asked, her eyes opening for the first time that morning.

"Hold you and kiss you until you wake up," he answered immediately.

"Then no," she replied, quickly shutting her eyes.

"But if you were," Tim continued, whispering in her ear, "I would kiss your lips, before trailing down your neck and chest to take one nipple in my mouth, twirling around it with my tongue, nipping at it with my teeth, causing it to pebble into hardness before turning my attention to your other nipple."

"Tim," she moaned, her hips gyrating. Before this weekend with Tim, she had no idea that a play by play description of their actions could arouse her so much. Just imagining him doing what he said had her wet and ready for him.

"While my mouth is focused on the lovely perfection of your breasts, my hand will be moving its way to your thighs, lightly caressing every inch of you on its journey. Once there, I will pet, rub, stroke, you to completion, before I insert first one finger, then another, perhaps even a third, doing whatever it takes to cause you to experience 'le petit mort' once again," he promised, kissing her neck, causing her to arch against him. "My lips and tongue will then travel down your stomach, to replace my fingers," he informed her, swirling his tongue on her neck as a preview of what was to come. "Trying to bring you to completion a third time."

"Tim!" she hissed, her body flush and ready, "I am awake,"

"Are you sure?" he questioned, withdrawing from her slightly.

"Yes! Touch me," she begged, rolling over to face him.

"If you would rather go back to sleep, I can just hold you," he replied.

She moaned, writhing against him, "There is no way I can sleep now. I need you."

"I need you too," Tim replied his voice sincere, as he spoke from his heart, for it wasn't just his body that needed her. He only hoped she knew that he didn't just mean in the physical sense or this past weekend, but all of her, for all of time.

-/…

* * *

"Hey, the alarm is going off," Tim spoke softly, brushing back her hair from her face.

"If I say I'm awake, do I get the same treatment as last time?" She huskily asked.

He smiled at her fondly and kissed her lips, "If we do that, we might be late."

"Might be worth it," she teased.

"Might?" he inquired, as he removed himself from her bed.

She shrugged, "Depends on how we explain our lateness to Gibbs and whether or not Tony overhears."

Tim paused and sat back down, staring into her eyes, "We never finished talking about Rule 12," he reminded her.

"Not my fault," she argued.

Tim snorted, "You were the one who brought out the whip cream and said dessert was on you, literally."

She smiled at him and shrugged, "Only because I felt bad not treating you to lunch like I promised."

"You more than made up for it," he replied, smiling back at her and reaching over to hold her hand with his. She squeezed his hand as the two fell silent, just enjoying the quietness and the ability to touch one another, knowing that the 10-12 hours at work would severely limit that interaction, especially if they wanted to keep the change in their relationship a secret.

She sat up and looked at him, "What do you want to tell them?"

"Nothing," Tim replied immediately. "I'm not ashamed," he rushed to tell her, "This relationship is between the two of us, so I would like to keep it that way for a little while. Every relationship has its challenges, when you add friends and co-workers to the mix, even more so."

Ziva nodded, believing she understood what he meant. "So we are in agreement, we do not tell anyone about us."

"Right," Tim concurred, before a thought came to him, "Um, I won't lie."

She frowned, "What do you mean?"

"I won't lie about what I did this weekend, and not just because Gibbs and Tony could probably tell if I did," he added. "I will omit facts, for instance, I might not tell them that I was with you, but I will tell them that I was with a friend," Tim explained.

She smiled, "That is understandable. I won't lie either."

"Good," Tim replied, looking at the clock, "Should we save time and shower together?"

Ziva looked at him skeptically, "Do you really think that would _save_ time?"

"Perhaps not, but I can guarantee it will be fun," Tim teased before grinning at her and heading into the bathroom, letting her decide whether or not to join him.

-/

* * *

Tim and Ziva still made it to work before Tony, even with showering together. They had decided to take separate cars, in order to avoid any questions that they did not want to answer at this time.

"Hey, Probie, how was your weekend?" Tony asked, as he entered the bullpen, smirking as he waited for Tim's response.

"Very good," he replied, not looking up from his desk.

Tony paused at the unexpected answer, Tim did not seem upset or mad at him. Perhaps he didn't go to the museum? "Were you able to use those passes?"

"Yep, and thank you," he added, sincerely.

"Oh." Tony replied in surprise, he really hadn't expected that answer based on Tim's current attitude. Either Tim was pretending everything was all right when it wasn't or the passes helped Tim _a lot,_ Tony thought, as he asked, "Did you and your girl like the museum?"

Tim looked up, glancing over at Ziva quickly before turning to meet Tony's eyes. "We did, very much so."

Again, Tony paused, not sure what to make of the situation. "And did you learn something?" He smirked.

Tim grinned as he looked at Ziva, whose eyes were glued to her own desk, "I believe we both did," he finally said.

"Oh, well, that's good." Tony finally responded. "I'm glad you and Shelly enjoyed it."

"Oh, Shelly and I broke up," Tim replied casually.

Silence greeted his statement.

"But you...your girl...you said..." Tony stammered, confused about what was going on.

Tim smirked at the confused expression on Tony's face, "We broke up last week," Tim admitted. "I have a new girl...woman," he corrected. "Someone who went to the museum with me and well," Tim shrugged, "We are now together." Tim longed to tell Tony that this was the one, but knew he couldn't do that to Ziva, not so soon into the relationship. Plus there was the fact that Ziva should know how he felt _before_ Tony or anyone else did.

"Oh, well, that's great, Probie. I'm happy for you," Tony stated, at a loss for words at this new development, before casually asking Ziva. "And your weekend?"

"Very good, actually," she smiled, her gaze briefly drifting towards Tim before returning to Tony. "I too went to a museum with a friend. We later decided to pursue a relationship, see where it leads."

"Oh. Well, I'm happy for you, too, Ziva," he said as he sat at his desk and logged into his computer.

"Thank you," she replied with a bright smile. "I have a _very_ good feeling about him," she added, smiling and winking at Tim.

Tony just nodded absently, lost in his thoughts. "Huh," he snorted a few minutes later after he finished reading his e-mails.

"What?" Tim asked hesitantly, wondering if Tony's nose for news, and clues, had figured them out.

"Just realized that both of you spent time at a museum with a friend and are now in new relationships," he explained, grinning at them. "Who knew museums were so good at matchmaking. Maybe I should've gone to one this weekend," he added with a laugh.

"Or at least use your museum passes yourself," Gibbs chided as he entered the bullpen and answered his phone that had begun to ring.

All three looked surprised at his words.

"Huh? Why?" Tony asked as he looked around the bullpen. "Wait. Rule 39?" He muttered, his gaze suspiciously flicking between his fellow agents. "No." He denied. There was no way Tim and Ziva went to the museum of _Sex_ together. And it definitely wasn't possible that they were each other's new 'relationship'. Rule 51 was coming into play, here, right? Coincidences _do_ exist.

Neither Tim nor Ziva responded. Tim wouldn't even look up from his desk.

"Gear up," Gibbs called out, springing his team into action. "Ziva, you're driving the van, McGee with me." His words caused Tony to groan and Tim to panic at the thought of being alone with Gibbs, especially since he seemed to know about him and Ziva.

—-/

* * *

"Relax, McGee," Gibbs ordered as he started the sedan and the two men buckled their seatbelts.

"Yeah, I don't think I can," he admitted, closing his eyes as he waited for the scolding to begin.

Gibbs chuckled as he took in his agent. "Could be worse, you could be trapped in the van with Tony," he offered.

Tim just shrugged, "This just delayed the inevitable. I have no doubts that Tony will have plenty to say about this latest development, nor will he be circumspect or discreet when he brings it up."

Gibbs nodded in agreement before asking, "And what is this latest development?"

Tim paused, "You seem to already know," he stated softly, "Though I do not know how...especially Tony's part in it."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow, "If you can't say it out loud and admit to it, are you sure that you are ready? That this is the right thing to do?"

Tim stared at him in surprise before he busted out in laughter, the words reminding him of the conversation he and Ziva has at the museum. "Oh, god, boss...I don't want to know how you know about that, but I really needed that," he laughingly informed an alarmed Gibbs, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"McGee, Tim," the older man began in concern, wondering if he would have to pull the car over.

"Ziva and I are seeing," he stopped and shook his head, even after only two days it was much more that that. "Began a relationship this past weekend. It was not planned," he clarified. "But things happened that made it obvious that we are attracted to one another, care about one another."

Imagining what could have happened, Gibbs gave a ghost of a smile, turning towards his window so McGee wouldn't see it.

"I..." Tim paused, embarrassed to share this next part, but he felt that full disclosure was best, especially since, as usual, Gibbs seemed to know more than he should. "I told Ziva I didn't, couldn't do casual. That things would only proceed if we began a true relationship, exploring where this might lead. I know this is against your rules, and I take full responsibility and the consequences for it."

"There are two of you involved," Gibbs pointed out.

"Yes," Tim agreed, "but I initiated the relationship aspect, otherwise, you wouldn't have known. There wouldn't be anything going on regarding rule 12," he argued.

Gibbs snorted.

"What?" Tim finally asked when Gibbs just kept glancing his way.

"You really think that both of you would've been able to put this past weekend behind you and carry on as usual if you hadn't agreed to a relationship?"

"I..." Tim fell silent, knowing that he probably wouldn't have, even, or perhaps, especially, if he had walked out of Ziva's apartment Saturday afternoon.

"That's what I thought," Gibbs said with a decisive nod.

Tim sighed, "So, what's the consequences?" He asked, bracing himself for a transfer to CCU.

"Too soon to tell," Gibbs replied.

"But rule 12..."

Gibbs sighed, "Tell me this, is she worth it?" Gibbs asked the question, fully expecting his agent to ask for clarification on what 'it' represented, so the response, which came immediately after he asked the question, surprised him.

"Yes," Tim unequivocally stated, his voice firm.

Gibbs nodded as he thought about how to proceed, "If anyone proved that they can end a relationship and remain professional while at work, it is you. Ziva," he paused and shrugged, "that is another story. Depending on how and why the relationship ends, if it ends, will determine how she reacts. It could be a number of different ways."

Tim swallowed, "I...if the relationship does not work out or ends badly, transfer me," Tim instructed softly. "Please don't eliminate the liaison position and send her back to Mossod," he requested.

Gibbs was struck momentarily speechless at the request. "Why?"

Tim smiled softly, "She has changed a lot since she joined us. I do not want to see her revert to how she was when she wasn't a part of our team, and second, I would hate for any of us to lose touch with her."

Gibbs frowned, "The second doesn't necessarily have to occur."

Tim shrugged, "If the first happens, then the second would follow," Tim replied knowingly, causing Gibbs to nod in acquiesce, not just at Tim's comment, but because he now knew what breaking rule 12 was worth to Tim.

"Okay," he began. "Keep it professional at this, and all crime scenes," he directed. "Today, I will have you begin with interviewing witnesses. Hopefully, being able to keep some distance between you and Tony, who will process the scene with Ziva, can help accomplish that goal."

Tim nodded, "Yes, Boss."

—/

* * *

"Ziva," Tony began hesitantly, hoping she wouldn't kill him for even thinking it was possible, "You're not _with_ McGee, are you?"

"No, of course not," she replied immediately, eliciting a sigh of relief from her companion. "I am with you. Timothy is in the sedan with Gibbs.

"I know that," Tony snapped as he glared in her direction. "I meant are you and...wait, Timothy?" He repeated, "When did he become Timothy?"

Ziva frowned, "He has always been Timothy, it is what his parents named him."

Another glare, "I meant since when do you call him that?"

Ziva shrugged, "Seems strange to call him McGee."

Eyebrows raised, "It never bothered you before."

Ziva just shrugged again.

"Seriously, what did you two do this weekend?"

Ziva flashed him a look he couldn't decipher before replying "We were buying a Frisbee," in a serious voice, though her lips did quirk up in a satisfied smile for a brief moment afterwards.

"What the hell does that mean?" he muttered. "A Frisbee? Did Probie join a Frisbee golf team or something and need help purchasing the equipment?" Tony continued softly, sure Ziva was just teasing him, after all, who actually _buys_ Frisbees? Almost every business or organization gives them away as advertising or promotional tools. "Buying a Frisbee," he repeated, thinking about the phrase for some hidden meaning. Only one thing came to mind.

From the corner of her eye, Ziva watched as Tony's back straightened his lips mouthing the words 'no' and 'it can't be' over and over.

"Ziva, what is going on with you and McGee?" he finally asked straight out.

Except for the squeal Tony emitted when Ziva took a corner on two wheels, the car was remained silent.

"Ziva?" Tony questioned, his suspicions confirmed when she not only refused to answer, but pointedly avoided his eyes, a smile on her lips.

"What the hell did you two do?"

Ziva raised her eyebrow.

Tony shuddered, "Not _that_ ," he muttered, "I never want to know details like that about McGee," he muttered. "I meant the two of you. _Dating,"_ he stressed the last word, his voice filled with disbelief.

"Seriously," he continued, "a relationship? I mean I can see if the two of you stumbled," he paused and snickered, "and since Probie's involved, I do mean stumbled, into bed together, but dating?" Tony said, shaking his head. "Tell me it is just part of your plan to let him down gently. I mean, the two of you? Together? No way." He concludes at the same time as Ziva slammed on the brakes. "Oh, good," Tony cried, opening his door, and hopping out. "We're here."

"Hey, McLoverboy, get over here and grab the bags," he yelled.

Tim sent a glare towards the SFA, "Get 'em yourself, I've already got an assignment."

"Oh," Tony replied not as loud, "is that what you call Ziva now?" He muttered. "Ouch!" He yelled when Ziva's hand made contact with the back of his head, much harder than his normal head slaps.

"Watch, it, Tony," she hissed in warning. "I have a very special paperclip at my desk that I can easily return to you," she warned, "in eighteen different ways," she added.

—-/

* * *

Except for the usual, expected comments from Tony, which Tim and Ziva made a point to ignore for a change, the agents at the crime scene all acted professional, causing Ducky and Jimmy to exchange confused looks as they wondered what was going on.

"Okay, let's head back," Gibbs announced. "McGee, you're driving," Gibbs informed them, watching closely as Tim groaned as he accepted the keys from Ziva, their hands only lingering at the contact for a moment before separating; while Tony grinned and rubbed his palms together in glee, as he headed towards Tim and the van. "DiNozzo, with me," he stated as he turned and walked away.

"McGee, David, get that evidence to Abby," he called over his shoulder, prompting his team to scramble into action.

"Boss?" Tony questioned once the two were in the sedan.

"Yeah, DiNozzo?"

"You do know that Probie and Ziva are together together, right?" Tony asked, repeating the word so there would be no doubt in his meaning, looking at Gibbs. "Of course you do," he muttered when he received a glare in reply. "Then why did you let them ride together?"

Another glare had Tony turn away as he tried to figure out the answer himself. How he wished he knew what Gibbs had said to McGee on the drive down.

"Tim seemed to take special care to stay away from Ziva at the scene," he observed, catching the smirk on his companion's face. "On your orders," he commented, continuing when Gibbs neither confirmed nor denied it. "Then you are having McGee break up with Ziva," he decided with a nod. "Good idea, that. But, ah, I don't know if Probie driving while he does that is a good idea," he admitted. "Of course, it's probably a better idea than if Ziva was driving while he did it," Tony added with a slight laugh. "Hopefully both will arrive with no serious injuries."

"Not making them break up," Gibbs replied gruffly, "Can't decide their personal life for them."

Tony nodded, "Only their professional one, right," he nodded, flinching as a thought came to him. "Who…I'm…you're not making them decide who gets transferred are you?"

Gibbs just turned his head and glared at Tony before focusing back on the road before him.

Tony sighed in relief.

"McGee already asked that he be the one transferred," Gibbs informed him softly.

Tony's mouth dropped in shock, first because their relationship was so serious, so quickly and secondly because it meant the team was changing. He swallowed hard, "When?" He croaked.

"Earlier, on the drive in," Gibbs explained.

Tony closed his eyes, Why was everyone misunderstanding him and making things harder. Tony cleared his throat and corrected, "I mean when is he being transferred?"

Gibbs shrugged, "Don't know if he is."

Forehead scrunched in thought, "You think one of them would quit first? Or do you think that they'll break up first?"

"What are you taking about?"

Tony looked at Gibbs. "Tim, Ziva, relationship, rule 12, consequences," he threw out. "You said Tim already offered to be transferred, but then you said you don't know if he is," Tony reminded the SSA.

"Don't know 'cause it's not an issue yet," Gibbs informed his senior agent. "If they can't keep things professional, then we will have to reevaluate."

"Oh. Then why did you have them ride together? That is just asking for them to pull over and _park_."

Gibbs responded by smacking the back of his head. "McGee is not you. He wouldn't do that."

Tony pouted, "Ziva would, and you know she could convince him to do anything, especially now," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Gibbs just shook his head and turned up the radio, eliminating any hope of further conversation Tony might have had.

* * *

10-2-18 

Okay, so I couldn't decide whether to name this chapter 'The News' or 'The Truth'...I even played around with 'The Truthful News' (though that sounded like a very bad newspaper title), so I split it up into two separate chapters, this one (obviously) called 'The News', the next one...I'm sure you can figure out the title, wonder what it means though :)

Didn't feel too bad for breaking it up, since this chapter is still over 3,500 words. It is possible that this might now be 6 chapters in total (the last chapter was to be called 'The Future' and done as an epilogue, of course, if it's not too long, it could be part of chapter 5. Currently, this story is over 12,000 words.

Poor Tony, everyone keeps misunderstanding him :)

I hope you guys enjoyed this (and the previous chapters). I've never written anything like this before, so I am very curious as to what you guys are thinking...please feel free to take a moment and review.

Oh yeah, I now I took some liberties with Rule 51, since we didn't learn of it till after this story takes place (though I don't have a definite 'date' (season) for this story, but hey, it fit-I hope you forgive me...


	5. The Truth (MP5)

The Truth

* * *

"Timothy?" Ziva began, concerned because of how quiet Tim had been, both at the crime scene and in the car. "Is everything all right?"

Tim spared Ziva a quick look before redirecting his eyes and responding. "Yes, of course. Why?"

"Because you barely looked at me while we were processing the scene," she answered.

"Gibbs wanted to make sure we were professional at the crime scene. The easiest way to do that, he advised, was to avoid Tony," he stated to explain why he seemed to avoid her earlier.

Ziva snorted, "Wish I had that option," she muttered.

"What did he do?"

Ziva shrugged, "Just typical Tony."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault," Ziva replied before straightening up in her seat. "I do have something I need to share with you, though."

"Oh?"

"Yes, I need to take back something that I said this past weekend" she announced.

At her words, Tim had to refrain from slamming on the brakes and yelling 'NO!'. Swallowing the panic and fear that rose up in his throat from his chest and heart, he carefully pulled over, parked in the breakdown lane, set on his hazards and asked, "What do you need to take back?" His voice tinged with worry as he waited for her to answer.

A lot had been said between them the past two days. Both real conversation and pillow talk. Tim appreciated and loved every word, every scream and moan that left Ziva's lips, every moment that they shared. Hearing her gasp his name, cry out 'more', 'faster', and 'yes', were things he would never tire of hearing, however, his favorite thing that she had said this weekend was when she agreed to see where this relationship took them.

But had she really meant it? Tim had wondered at the time, and even now, he wasn't sure what Ziva really thought about a relationship with him. Was it an automatic response to prevent him from leaving, to get him to finish what they started?

He really hoped that she did not want to retract those words. Even after just two days with her, he knew it would not be possible to walk away, not if he still had to see her at work everyday.

"I said something to Tony and it was quite enjoyable watching him realize what I meant." Ziva shared.

Tim frowned, not sure what this had to do with their weekend. "Um, okay, what did you say?"

She shrugged and explained, "He asked what we did over the weekend, I told him we were buying a Frisbee."

Tim looked at her, not sure that he heard right. "You told him we were buy-" he began only to have Ziva cut him off.

"Yes," she confirmed, giving him a smirk as she ran her left hand up his thigh.

"Oh. OH!" He repeated when her palm reached her destination and he realized what she meant.

"I take back what I said about not using that one. While I might not completely understand it, Tony did," she smirked.

Tim nodded in understanding before groaning once more at her touch. "Ziva, we can't."

Ziva pulled her hand away as if burnt, "Are you rethinking us?" She asked softly, he hadn't refused her advances all weekend, why was he doing so now?

"What? No! Of course not, how could you think that?"

Ziva shrugged, "Things often look different in the harsh light of day," she commented.

Tim snorted, "We started this in the 'harsh light of day'," he reminded her. "We also had all of yesterday."

Ziva shrugged, "We spent most of that time in my bed, with the shades drawn."

"Zi-"

"And I meant metaphorically," she continued. "You did not want to tell anyone. Having Tony and Gibbs know might make you rethink things. You tend to think too much as it is, and this morning you said you didn't want anyone to know yet," she repeated.

"I did not want anyone to know because I wanted to keep you to myself," Tim admitted. "Now that Tony knows, he will not leave us alone, and I do not mean that metaphorically," he added with a grin. "He is going to follow us everywhere, either to catch us in a clandestine moment or to prevent one from happening," Tim added.

"Think about how he's behaved when one of us had been in a relationship, remember the questions he asked, the comments he made," Tim instructed. "Now try to imagine what it would have been like if your lover had been in the room at the time. _That_ is what the bullpen is going to be like. That is what I wanted to avoid," Tim explained. "I told you that I'm not ashamed of you, of us, god if anything I'm sure everyone will wonder 'why him?' I am so far out of your league."

Ziva glanced at him, noting the sincerity of his words on his face, "That is why." At his inquiring glance, she added, "You genuinely care about people and want to protect them. You have strong convictions of what is right and what is wrong. You stand by them and don't back down or give in. Saturday…" she paused, "Do you want to know why I agreed to begin a relationship with you?"

"Hell, yeah," Tim replied automatically, not filtering his response. It was something he had been very curious about, especially since he had spent part of the weekend wondering if she had meant it. It was for that reason, that he had not asked. That, along with the idea that if he asked why, she might not be able to think of a reason and would thus change her mind.

She smiled, at his insecurities making their presence known. "It was because you were willing to walk away. It was obvious that we would have been very good together in bed. The chemistry, was unbelievable. It was also clear that I was willing, and that you wanted me," she informed him, not bragging, but stating the facts. "I would have slept with you without any promises or commitments, did not even think about them," she admitted. "But you stopped things from progressing, not because you selfishly thought about what you wanted, but because of what would be best for _us_ , our friendship, our team. I knew then that I could trust you with everything. You would put _us_ first. I do not believe I had ever had that before and the idea was intoxicating."

It might not be the expression of love he longed for, but for now it was enough to know that Ziva appreciated his actions and respected them.

"Come here," he said, puller her towards him and giving her a deep, passionate kiss. When she began to slide her hand down the waistband of his pants, he halted, "We can't," he repeated.

"I believe we have already proven that we can, many times, in many different ways," she smirked. "And I already told you that I was interested in a relationship and why," she argued, "I am not retracting that statement, so there is no reason we cannot."

"Glad...to…hear…that," he gasped before removing her hand from where it resided. "Ziva," he said, leaning over to hungrily kiss her again. "I would love to, you know I would love to, but if we are going to continue working together, we need to remain professional. That means no sex while at work."

Ziva gave an exaggerated look around them, "Technically,"

Tim rolled his eyes, "No sex while on the clock," he amended. At the gleam in her eye, he added, "Just to be clear, that does not just mean penetration, but also, intense foreplay, blow jobs, oral, st-"

"I get it," she pouted, before once more meeting his eyes. "What about our lunch hour? We are not on the clock then, so to speak."

Tim shrugged, "As long as it does not interfere with a case and we are not sneaking around in broom closets," he grinned, "I'm okay with it."

"Good. Let's get this car back on the road so we can return to NCIS and leave for lunch. I'm starving," she teased, seductively licking her lips.

Tim made a sound that was a cross between a laugh and a groan as he pulled the car into the flow of traffic. "Remember, cases come first."

Ziva rolled her eyes. "What else did Gibbs have to say?" she asked, deciding to return to a more neutral topic.

Tim hesitated as he thought about that conversation.

"What?" She worriedly asked.

Tim smiled to reassure her. "Nothing bad. I think he thought I was losing it," Tim admitted, smiling at her. At her puzzled look, he shared with her the introduction to their talk, how it reminded him about the 'doing it' story he shared, and his reaction.

"Then what?" She asked, knowing that wasn't all of it, and refusing to be distracted by Tim's story.

"I told him that we began a relationship. He asked if you were worth it, I said yes, then asked him what the consequences were."

Ziva sucked in a breath, as pleased as she was that Tim thought she was worth it, the consequences were what she was afraid of. "You know, technically I am not an NCIS employee, so would those rules actually apply?"

Tim gave her a fond smile and brought her hand up to his mouth to administer a small kiss to her palm. "They are Gibbs's rules, not NCIS's," he reminded her.

She shrugged, "Worth a shot," she admitted. "So, those consequences? I will tell you right now I am NOT allowing you to be sent to that basement."

A smile and another kiss, this one in thanks, "He said it was too early for consequences. As long as we can remain professional at crime scenes..."

"Thus why you avoided Tony," she filled in.

"At least today. Since he had just learned of it, well, I am sure he will have plenty to say."

Ziva scrunched up her nose in distaste as she thought about what was waiting for them when they returned to the bullpen.

"Just a crime scene?" Ziva asked with a smirk.

"Huh?"

"Did he specify that we had to be professional JUST at a crime scene, or where other places mentioned?" She asked, a mischievous gleam in her eye.

"I...kinda," Tim admitted uncomfortably as another thought came to him. "He..." Tim broke off, not sure how to proceed.

"What?"

Tim sighed and reluctantly replied, "The concept of being professional first came up in regards to when or if our relationship ended," he finally admitted.

"He does not think it will last?" Ziva asked in shock.

"Given his history, is it really that surprising?"

Ziva frowned, maybe it wasn't, still that did not mean he had to project his failures onto them.

"Hey, you okay?" Tim asked.

"Yes, just wondering what Gibbs meant."

Tim gave a faint smile, "I don't really think he meant anything. But," he added, "If there were ever a time we were going to have trouble working with one another, it would be if we were fighting or had broken up."

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Ziva gazed out the window, her expression blank, as she pointedly hid what she was feeling. "Hey," he called softly, drawing her gaze to him, "I think we can make this work," he informed her, turning his eyes back to the road when she didn't' respond.

It took a few minutes for Ziva to respond, a small nod of her head, but whether that was in agreement to his words or just in recognition that she heard them, she wasn't sure. All she could think about was how two days ago Tim had been adamant that he _knew_ when previous relationships weren't going to work out, so why didn't he know that this one would? Perhaps he too believed that it would not?

* * *

Arriving back at NCIS, Tim parked the van by the evidence garage so he and Ziva could drop the evidence off to Abby.

"I know my kisses are good," she smirked, leaning close to him as he withdrew the evidence box from the back, "but you do not consider them intense foreplay, so they are permissible, yes?"

Tim reached out and squeezed her hand, "Your kisses are just like you, amazing."

She frowned, "It would have meant more if you had kissed me just then," she returned.

He gave her a faint smile. "NCIS is rife with cameras, especially here, by the evidence garage," he reminded her.

"And both Gibbs and Tony know about us, so why bother hiding it?"

Tim frowned at her and leaned back. "There is a difference between hiding it and not flaunting it," he pointed out. "And yes, Gibbs and Tony know, but the director does not. Nor does Abby or anyone else," he replied. "I believe _we_ should decide who we tell and when rather than have them discover it by camera or scuttlebutt."

Ziva nodded, seeing the wisdom of his words, but also wondering if he wanted it this way in case they did not last. "And when shall we tell Abby?"

"I'm thinking not today, unless Tony said something. I think we have enough on our plate with Tony & Gibbs knowing."

"Okay," Ziva readily agreed, once more masking her emotions, before picking up the box and walking towards the stairs that would take them to Abby's lab.

"Ziva, I can carry that," he offered.

"As can I, obviously ," she returned with a glare. "Being in a relationship with you does not make me any less capable of doing my job."

"I know that, never said it did. It's just that I usually carry in the evidence."

"No, usually I carry it in." Ziva argued.

They looked at each other wondering how they could both be right.

"Tony." They said in unison as they both realized the truth. Usually one of them is paired with Tony and he leaves them with the evidence box.

"We really should make him work more," stated Tim with a smile.

Ziva laughed in agreement before inclining her head toward the door leading to the staircase, "I will allow you to get that," she permitted.

"So kind of you," Tim replied as he held the door for her.

"I have my moments," she teased.

"I believe you had a lot of moments last weekend," Tim responded dryly.

"And hopefully more tonight," she smirked, as she lead the way up the stairs

They grinned at each other when Tim automatically reached to open the other door, ushering Ziva through, his hand lingering on her back.

"Evidence!" Abby cheered rushing to meet Ziva, who had just entered her lab, Tim right on her heels.

Ziva stopped abruptly as Abby intercepted her, causing Tim to almost knock her over, his hands on her waist to prevent them both from falling.

"I get the feeling she is happier to see the evidence than she is to see us," Tim spoke into Ziva's ear.

Ziva smirked and pressed back against him, "that is not what I am feeling," She retorted.

Ziva's move was missed by Abby who had eagerly opened the box to look at the evidence.

"Don't be silly, McGee," Abby told him. "Of course I'm happy to see you guys, but I see you almost everyday, I haven't seen this evidence yet."

"Right," they murmured in response.

Abby continued pulling things out of the box for a few minutes before looking at Tim and Ziva who were just standing there watching her. "Okay, what's going on?"

"What?"

"Nothing," a startled Tim and Ziva replied in unison. It was obvious that Tony hadn't mentioned anything to the scientist about Tim and Ziva's weekend or relationship.

"Something happened," Abby announced looking at them. "You guys never drop off the evidence together." When neither one met her eyes directly, she panicked. "Oh my God, someone got hurt! Who got hurt? Where's Gibbs?" She asked in a panic. "Where's Tony?"

"Abby, everyone is fine. They should both be upstairs," Tim replied, trying to calm her down. "In perfect health," he assured her.

"Probably wondering where we are," Ziva added.

Tim nodded, "Yeah, we should probably head up there and get to work."

Abby stared at them, "And you promise everything is okay? Nothing hinky happened?"

"Everything is perfect," Tim replied.

"Nothing hinky," Ziva responded simultaneously.

"Okay," she reluctantly agreed, still suspicious, "then get upstairs and let me figure this out," she ordered, waving them away.

They quickly agreed and headed towards the elevator.

"Everything is perfect?" Ziva asked with a smirk.

Tim blushed and shrugged as the doors opened. "You are. This past weekend was," he commented as they entered.

Once the elevator started traveling upwards, Ziva stopped the car from moving.

"Ziva? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said with a smile, walking towards him. "Everything is perfect."

"Then why-" he stopped talking when Ziva wrapped her arms around his neck and began to pull his lips to hers.

"No cameras in the elevator," she commented, right before their lips met.

After several minutes, Tim reached out and restarted the elevator. "You know we can't do that too often or people will suspect."

She waved away his concerns, "They will just think that Gibbs is using it as a conference room again."

Tim gave her a wry smile, "And what would Gibbs, and someone, say Tony, who might have been with Gibbs during that time, think?"

Ziva's lips formed a silent 'Oh'.

Tim couldn't resist and gave her lips a quick peck, before placing some distance between them. "As I said, we can't do it too often unless we _want_ to be a part of one of Gibbs' conferences."

"I will remember that," she promised as the elevator doors opened. The last thing she wanted to do was give Gibbs a reason to split the team.

"Well look who's back," Tony teased as they entered the bullpen and headed for their desks. "NCIS's favorite couple."

Tim rolled his eyes at Ziva before approaching the SFA. "About that," he began.

"You guys did break up," Tony surmised before Tim could finish. "Well, I'm really not surprised, just surprised it happened so soon," he commented. He frowned and looked between the two, "Actually, surprised you got together at all," he admitted.

"We did not break up," Tim informed him. "We are just trying to keep things quiet for now. New relationships are tough enough, let alone when other people try to get involved."

"Probie's into threesomes," Tony stated in a mock whisper. "What, Ziva not enough for you?"

"Stop being an ass, Tony," Ziva retorted. "We are asking you to keep this quiet for us."

"We don't expect you to lie," Tim added, "And we don't plan to either, but we would like some time figuring out where this is going before everyone else jumps in with there input."

"Sure, sure," Tony agreed, deciding not to mention the call he recently received from Abby.

"Thank you," a sincere McGee replied.

Ziva snorted, "As it is, the people who know do not think it will last," she muttered, returning to her desk.

Tim and Tony both frowned. Tim started to approach her when Tony began speaking.

"Wh-"

Tim quickly turned and leveled a glare at his direction, mouthing the words 'Shut up' before spinning Ziva's chair to face him and kneeling before her.

"Hey," he said quietly, caressing the side of her face, before tilting her head so their eyes met. "It doesn't matter what they think, only what we think, what we _feel_ ," he stressed.

Ziva looked at him, "And what is that?" she asked. She knew that this was not the best place for this conversation, yet she could not let the opportunity pass by. If Tim _knew_ that they would not work, it would be best to end things now.

He smiled at her, as he reached out and grasped both of her hands, "I'll tell you what I think, what I feel, and what I _know,"_ he counter offered, hoping she would understand what he meant. "I think that you are the best thing to ever happen to me. That what I feel for you surpasses everything I have ever known. I know that I will never stop caring for you, that you and your happiness are more important to me than anything else." He gave her another smile, and softly added, "I _know_ that we can make this work."

He then squeezed her hands in preparation of standing up and returning to work. Ziva, however, had other ideas, and held tightly to his hands, pulling him back down. "Ziva?" he questioned in concern.

She met his eyes, "I think that we are both crazy, that things do not happen this fast. It's been two days and my whole world has been turned upside down, yet at the same time, it seems like everything is in place. What I feel for you, which is unlike anything I have ever felt before, isn't wrong, but for the first time, very, very right. I know that I do not have any idea what comes next, but that I look forward to figuring that out…together." She paused before quietly admitting, "I am glad that you _know_ we can make this work, I want that more than anything."

Tim pulled her into a hug, whispering in her ear, "You know, you didn't have to do that."

"Neither did you," she whispered back.

He shrugged, "Part of me has been wanting to say that all weekend, I just didn't want to scare you."

"Same here" she admitted. "I was so afraid that you would agree with Tony and Gibbs that we would not work out, that subconsciously that was why you did not want anyone to know."

"Oh, Zee, never," Tim stated firmly. "I had already decided that there was no way in hell I was going to break up with you, I was just hoping you would feel the same."

"I do," Ziva admitted quietly, placing a quick kiss on his cheek, something they had done before and could easily get a way with.

Tony gaped at them, struck speechless at the couple's conversation, at the emotions the two were displaying, to each other and to the entire floor.

"Shut it, DiNozzo," Gibbs hissed, walking by the senior agent before stopping beside Tim and Ziva, "I'm glad you to believe you can make this work, now can I suggest that you _get_ to work?"

"Gibbs! How can we possibly get back to work after that?" Abby objected. "It was so romantic, as if they were exchanging vows," she added before squealing and grasping the new couple in a hug before slapping them on the arm.

"That's for telling me nothing was hinky."

Tim frowned, "Nothing is hinky," he retorted.

Tony snickered, "More like kinky," he injected, only to receive a slap on the head. "Ow. Thanks, boss."

Abby glared at them, "Well, you didn't tell me you were together."

Ziva smiled, "He did tell you everything was perfect."

"That he did," Abby responded with a laugh. "Ooh! I'm so happy for you. You have to tell me all about it."

"Later, Abs," Tim replied, "We are trying to keep this separate from work."

Tony snickered, "Yeah, good luck with that," he said, causing Tim and Ziva to look up at him and following his gaze, noticed most of the floor avidly staring at them.

* * *

10-5-18


	6. The Future (MP6)

Not beta'd; I do not own NCIS or any of the charcters

* * *

The future

* * *

After realizing that they had outted their relationship to most of their coworkers Tim and Ziva decided to spend their lunch talking to Ducky and Jimmy in autopsy. After all, since most of the building knew, they felt it was only right that two of their closest coworkers hear it from them and not the grapevine.

To Ziva's surprise and delight, Ducky informed her that in his opinion, the two were well suited for each other and that he had been waiting for the two to ignore rule 12 for quite some time. When Tim and Ziva replied that they had never actually been on a date yet, Jimmy awkwardly asked them how they got together before stammering his congratulations and excusing himself to order supplies. Ducky insisted that they join him for a meal their next free night, as he would be honored to host their first official date.

Tm had been correct about Tony's actions. He had attempted to follow the two, whenever they 'disappeared' at the same time, trying to catch them in compromising positions, he had even tracked their cell phones at times. When he came up empty-handed, he even went as far as to ask Abby to install a portable camera in the elevator. Something Abby had given serious thought to, before realizing that since it was Gibbs' 'office', it wouldn't be a good idea.

* * *

The days and weeks that the followed, the couple did not bother hiding their relationship, but as Tim said, they did not flaunt it either. The two agreed, reluctantly, that public displays of affection were not really appropriate for work and for the most part, kept their physical interactions restricted to quick kisses in the elevator or outside of the building.

During the first month, Tim knew that their relationship would be the talk of the agency, he even understood _why_ so many people questioned it. At first, he had wished they didn't do it as loudly or as frequently as they did, and especially not within his hearing, but then Ziva had been with him during one of those instances. Tim had been worried about how Ziva would react if she heard someone speculate about them since she had gotten so upset when she believed that Tony and Gibbs did not believe in them. He had been afraid of what she might say or do to their other coworkers, and he didn't want her to get in trouble for defending them to anyone. To his surprise, Ziva didn't say anything, instead just gave a smile that seemed to say 'I know something you don't.' She had then pulled him in for a passionate kiss, in full view of those doing the talking.

With it happening so frequently, Tim had begun to wonder if Tony and Abby had staged those subsequent conversations, since they seemed to witness most of them, and Abby had even been present with a camera for a few, but since he had gotten a kiss at work out of the scenario, he wasn't about to confront them or ask them to stop. Eventually, talk about the new couple had changed. Oh, they were still discussed, but, to Tim's embarrassment, it was more regarding his sexual prowess than the 'what does she see in him' that they previously asked.

* * *

By the time Tim and Ziva had been together for over two months, they had unofficially moved in together and usually spent the nights alternating between apartments, they also drove to and from work together, extending the time they could be together.

It took Tony quite a while to believe that they were together and serious about each other. Every time they did not arrive together, Tony was convinced that the couple had broken up or fought, the last time had him realize, that in the interest of his health, he should probably stay out of it.

"You broke up, didn't you?" Tony asked when Tim entered the bullpen without his better half.

"No, we did not," Tim denied.

"It's okay, Probie," Tony reassured the younger man. "It was bound to happen sooner or later. Tell you what, we'll go out this weekend, my treat."

Tim raised an eyebrow, "If you want to go out, and pay for me," Tim added, "I won't say no."

"That's the spirit, we'll start small and safe," Tony reassured him, "Maybe that new bar, rather than one of the clubs, they might have someone your type there."

"Tony, we can go wherever you want, I won't be looking. Ziva's the one for me."

"Probie," Tony commiserated, "I know you're hurting, but the best thing to do is get back in the saddle."

"Tony, I"

"I know, you're hurting, and probably feel like you will never find someone like her again, and, well," Tony paused, giving Tim the chance to speak.

"Tony, we did-"

Tony ignored him and continued, "To be honest, you probably won't. There probably isn't another like her, it is understandable that you feel lost."

"Tony," Tim tried only to be ignored again.

"It's okay to admit that Ziva was too much woman for you, a relationship between you and her, or you and Abby was doomed to fail. You guys are just too different. They are very attractive, interesting woman, and you," Tony paused, as if trying to find a way to describe Tim that couldn't be insulting. Tim knew he should take advantage and tell Tony once more, that he and Ziva hadn't broken up, but, well, honestly, he wanted to see how Tony would end this, and he wasn't feeling all that charitable since the older man had spent most of this conversation casually insulting him. "Well, you're you, McGeek. Quiet, bookish, boring," Tony finally settled on.

"Tony, list-"

"First we need to get the rebound 'ship out of the way," Tony announced. "Someone you can have fun with, yet it won't get serious on either side," he said, wiggling his eyebrows. "You, my friend are in luck. I've noticed a lot of woman at NCIS have been eyeing you since news of your relationship spread."

Tim paled and gulped, after all, he had heard what some of those _ladies_ had said. "Tony, no."

"Don't worry, I'll set it up. Forget the weekend; we'll go out for drinks tonight if we don't get a case."

"Tony,"

"After the rebound relationship ends, I promise that we'll find you someone you can have your forever with, someone more suited for you. Remember your walk on the wild side, be happy for that experience, and grateful that you found out now, and not after you proposed or got married, like Gibbs."

"Tony," Tim croaked.

The SFA froze, "He's behind me isn't he?" He asked, not turning around.

"No," Tim responded honestly.

"I am," Ziva stayed coldly, seemingly lowering the temperature in the bullpen by ten degrees.

"Ziva," Tony greeted, picking up on her frostiness, and erroneously attributing it to the break up with McGee. He then decided to try to ease the awkwardness between his two partners, after all, the last thing he wanted was for the team to be broken up. "Don't be like that, it is for the best. Things will soon be back to normal around here and this will be nothing but a distant memory."

Tim waited to see what his girlfriend would say or do before he responded to Tony. When Ziva just glared at him, Tim took that as his cue to speak, "Tony, we did not break up...nor are we fighting," Tim added when Tony opened his mouth in protest.

"But...then I," tony began, paling as he realized what he said.

"Just promised my boyfriend that you would find someone else for him? Someone more suited to him than I? Once more mentioned that you don't believe we will work out? Think that it is for the best that we break up? That Tim and I together is not normal?" Ziva recited coldly, still glaring at Tony. "Yes."

"Ah, Probie, some help here?"

"Nope," Tim grinned, "I know better to interfere."

"You could've said something and stopped me."

"I did," Tim reminded the senior agent, "and I tried a few more times, you either didn't listen or didn't believe me." His words caused Ziva 's glare to intensify, as she absently began playing with a paper clip that appeared in her hands.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs called as he entered the bullpen, causing Tony to sigh in relief that help arrived. "If you want to live, I suggest you promise not to offer to act as a pimp for McGee again," he said, giving his agent a head slap. "Their relationship isn't any of your business, I suggest you remember that. It also might not hurt to apologize to the lady."

"Apologize?" Tony repeated in shock, "But rule 6."

"Rules aren't much use if you're dead," he pointed out, giving a glance to Ziva's hands.

Tony swallowed, "Right," he agreed before apologizing to Ziva.

* * *

While things between Ziva and Tim weren't perfect, the few arguments they had weren't that bad. One thing they had decided on that first week was to not go to bed angry. If there was a problem, they would talk it out, resolve it before they went to sleep, before it had a chance to fester. The fact that this often lead to incredible make-up sex, was just an added benefit. The real advantage was that it helped them get closer and be honest with one another.

The hardest part of their relationship was the living situation. While Ziva's apartment was a bit bigger, neither was set up for two adults and a dog. Bouncing between the two apartments was an additional challenge, especially given their crazy work schedule. It seemed wherever they were, one of them had forgotten something at the other place. It wasn't long before the two decided to find a new place for the three of them and officially move in together. They had debated whether or not to inform the team, before realizing that the only one who _needed_ to know was Gibbs. The longer they could keep it a secret from Tony, the better, since it would mean that he would not be able to break in. Of course, part of Tim felt that he should warn Tony that he was no longer living at his old place, so he wouldn't break in on a complete stranger. He settled on casually mentioning that Ziva considered any place he inhabited as hers and wouldn't take kindly to someone breaking in, even if it wasn't done with the intent to harm. Ziva standing behind him, casually cleaning her weapon, seemed to help Tony understand and agree with Tim's words.

The two had finally found a small house for rent that all the occupants liked. Ziva loved the large kitchen, complete with an island and state of the art appliances; Tim was grateful that the new place had a small den he could use as an office, in addition to the master en suite bedroom, and two smaller guest rooms; and Jethro liked the large backyard where he could chase squirrels. Tim also appreciated the fenced in yard, since it meant he only had to let Jethro out, enabling him the opportunity to return to their bed and Ziva much quicker.

* * *

It has now been six months since Tim and Ziva had made use of the museum passes that Tony had given Tim. Surprisingly work has gone well during this time. At first, Gibbs had tried to keep Tim and Ziva separated, afraid that one of them would break protocol if the other was injured or in a dangerous predicament, however, after _Tony_ had been injured, he had had no option but to pair the couple up during an investigation. To his surprise, the couple had worked well together, their strengths and weaknesses complimenting one another. The fact that they seemed to know what the other was thinking or about to do without speaking had also helped the team. It had also proven that regardless of how they felt towards one another, or what situation the other was in, they knew the best thing they could do was follow proper procedures. Now, he varied the partnerships depending on the situation.

As a whole, the team seemed closer to one another. They occasionally went out for drinks after work as a group, but rarely were Tim and Ziva separated from one another. It was a surprise for Tony when Tim had called him one Saturday morning to see if the two could 'hang'. Part of Tony wondered if that meant trouble in paradise and, while he was unable to meet with Tim that day, had mentally rearranged his schedule for the following day to support Tim if he needed it.

Tim had arrived, bringing the beer Tony had requested and the two had quickly settled in, eating the delivered pizza and watching tv.

"You know, if you get married, you have to have me as your best man," Tony suddenly announced, hoping that it would get Tim talking. The younger man had been very quiet since his arrival. While he had responded to Tony's questions about how Ziva was, he hadn't added any additional information.

"I…what?" he stuttered in shock, wondering if Tony had been spying on them after all.

"Well, obviously," Tony continued. "After all, I am the reason the two of you got together."

"Actuall-"

"Hey," Tony interrupted, "It was my museum passes."

"It's not like you intended this to happen."

"I don't think anyone intended this to happen, not even you or Ziva," he snorted.

"So you now believe that we will last?"

Tony shrugged, "I believe that _you_ believe it," he admitted. "Part of me is still a bit surprised. Not necessarily at the relationship," he grudgingly admitted, continuing when Tim eyed him suspiciously. "The two of you have been close since Ziva first joined the team. You are the one she asked for recommendations on where to live, restaurants, stores, things like that. Even when Vance broke the team up, you were the one she remained in contact with. The one she felt the most comfortable around, the one she was able to talk to about anything. Anytime she needed help with anything, er, except when she was being framed," Tony added, "You were the first one she turned to, the one she trusted to help her."

"Then why…" Tim trailed off, his tone portraying his confusion.

Tony shrugged, "It was more how the relationship happened, how it started," he shared. "I mean, right off the bat, you guys were _buying Frisbees_ ," he said, grinning when Tim blushed. "That wasn't like you. I was afraid that you were in over your head, going too far to fast and that everything would blow up in your face, ruining everything. Your friendship, the team, our little family, everything," he repeated sadly.

Tim just looked at Tony, wondering what else the SFA had to say.

"But, you guys seemed to even out, going at a slower pace and not rushing into anything. I mean, it's been six months and you haven't moved in together, so," Tony stopped when Tim looked away. "Probie?" he questioned.

"I, er, we moved in together a few months ago," Tim admitted.

"You mean, one of your apartments, right? Just moved clothes and toiletries, and such, right? You still have both places?"

"Uh, no. We are currently renting a house together, broke our leases and moved in almost three months ago."

"Oh," Tony replied in shock, a bit hurt that they hadn't told him.

"I…we'll have to have you over," Tim offered.

Tony nodded absently, lost in his thoughts about this new development.

"So, it's serious then?" Tony finally asked.

"It's been serious from the start," Tim admitted. "Yes, how it started was atypical for me, but it was _right_. I knew that she was the one. I," Tim paused, staring intently at his partner. "Tony, if I tell you something, you have to swear you will not repeat it to _anyone, ever_."

"Sure, Probie."

"Tony, I'm serious. This is really personal, if I find out you talked about this with anyone, not only will you not have a chance in hell at being best man, but you probably won't even get invited to the wedding."

"Oh, come on,"

"I mean it, Tony."

Tony met Tim's eyes and after seeing how serious he was, agreed. "I…I swear," he vowed.

Tim nodded, "That first day, as Ziva and I were buying a Frisbee," Tony rolled his eyes at Tim's phrasing, "I stopped things. I knew what I wanted, and I knew it wasn't something casual. I told her that."

"Probie," Tony whispered.

"I was ready to walk away because I wanted all or nothing. And I knew, with Ziva, it could be all, I wasn't about to settle for anything less."

"She agreed?"

"Obviously," Tim retorted, continuing at Tony's look. "My hand was on the door, when she called out to me. I refused to turn around because I knew that if I did, if I saw her, I would give in, which could possibly ruin any chance for a real relationship. She admitted that she wasn't as sure as I was, but recognized that there was more between us than just attraction and wanted to find out what it was."

"Wow."

"Now you know everything."

"Not everything," Tony replied, eyebrows wiggling suggestively.

Tim snorted, "As much as you're going to," he retorted.

"Fine. But now you definitely have to have me as the best man after sharing that."

Tim rolled his eyes as the two once more focused on the television in front of them.

"Hey, Tony," he said about a half hour later, after the show ended and he stood up to leave, after stating that there was someplace he needed to be.

"Yeah?"

"Would you be my best man?"

"Well, since you asked," Tony grinned. "You just tell me where and when," he continued, not looking at Tim. "Oh man, I can imagine the toast now." Tony added gleefully. "I'm gonna have to think about something really special for the bachelor party. I have some killer ideas," he scrunched his eyes in thought, "I wonder if I can combine all of them? You have to give me plenty of notice. I think I want us to fly to Vegas."

"Just remember I'm marrying Ziva. If you do anything she doesn't like or approve of, _you're_ the one she'll go after with a paper clip," Tim warned.

"I…right," Tony acknowledged. "Of course, that's assuming that you ever get up the nerve to ask and she says yes."

Tim remained silent.

"Probie?"

Eyes narrowing suspiciously when Tim avoided his gaze. "Where is Ziva? What's going on?"

"She was having lunch with Abby to ask her to be her Maid of Honor, then heading to Gibbs' to ask if he would walk her down the aisle."

Tony leaned back in shock, he definitely had not expected that.

Once the shock wore off, Tim informed his partner of how he had asked and what he and Ziva envisioned. Tony and Abby as best man and maid of honor; Sarah and Jimmy as the only other attendants; and their hope that Ducky would perform the ceremony, after meeting the legal requirements to do so.

It took Tony a while to realize that this had already been planned out.

"Wait," he said as Tim was getting ready to leave to meet his fiancée. "You planned on asking me before I teasingly brought it up."

Tim just grinned and escaped, whistling innocently as he headed to his car.

* * *

10-13-18

And they lived happily ever after...

Okay, So I really like the scene where Tony assumes they broke up and is confronted by Ziva; I also like the scene where Tim asks tony to be his best man (especially the last line).

I now consider this story finished. One of my reviewers (Buddy5647) brought up an interesting point that with a unique beginning to a relationship, seeing how they view joys, trials, etc could be interesting, so that might happen, but if it does, it would be considered a bonus.

Aldo, I updated my profile/bio, listing the (many) NCIS fics I am working on, curious if you guys have any preference as to what you are interested in me posting next.

Thanks for all the love, support, and reviews.


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